This column has the
memmories of Eric Martin, their grandson.

This column has the
data derived from internet searches.

EM:  Grandma (E. Broadgate) came of a very well-to-do family but was rather disowned by it as she eloped with Grandpa, Frederick Longmate.

[ Their first child Elizabeth, to become Eric's mother, was born in 1869, in Tealby, the second child in Caistor, 10 km north of Tealby. The later children were born in Grimsby (see at right). ]

EM:  Grandma Longmate was a fine old lady (died when between 80 and 90 [ca. 1930]). I used to visit her when I was 9, 10 or 11 [ so around 1913 ] and can remember now sitting in front of a fire in her sitting room (she was in bed upstairs) and thinking to myself: "I'll never forget this moment", and I never have. She seemed to have great faith in me for some reason or other (seeing there were so many of us) and said I would 'do well'. All these visits to her I made just on my own − don't know why. When finally very ill and visited by the Doctor, she called out after him to mind the step − and he came back and kissed her.

EM:  Frederick Longmate was a remarkable man. I didn't know what his business was but he was away from home a lot. A most staunch Conservative and the agent for the Conservative Candidate for Grimsby (where he lived then) with whom he once had to escape down the back stairs after addressing a meeting from the balcony of the house.

[ Before 1909 they moved to 151 Rockingham road, Kettering; Frederick still is "commercial traveller". ]

EM:  When at home in Kettering he had all us children to his house on a Sunday morning and divided between us a pile of sweets − after we had sung "Vote, vote, vote for Sir Arthur" (Sir A. de Capel Brooke − the local Conservative MP, from Great Oakly, 8 km north of Kettering).

EM:  Every Xmas he stood outside his house dressed as Father Christmas − with a large sack of presents for the poor boys in the neighbourhood and he distributed these. He died suddenly one day just before Xmas in a large store (Woolworths?) where he was rushing round buying the Xmas presents.
[A story Grandpa told:] He once, when young, stole (or borrowed) a horse to visit one of the last public hangings at some place or other (a Cross Road?).

Harriet was the first child of Henry Broadgate (auctioneer) and Elizabeth Meanwell, of Tealby, a hamlet halfway between Lincoln and Grimsby, Lincolnshire.
Harriet's first child Elisabeth was born in Tealby. She had 7 siblings.
Frederick was born in Scothern, a hamlet 10 km NE of Lincoln. He was the son of John Longmate (baker & grocer) and Rebecca Redhead.

The 1881 census of Grimsby has the Longmates living at 100 Cleethorpe road. This house is (most likely) at the corner of Cleethorpe with Freeman street having the back at Strand street. (Streetview 2018: it is a run-down area.)

Inhabitants of 100 Cleethorpe road, Grimsby:
Frederick 34, born Scothern, occupation "wholesale grocer"; Harriet R, 38 born Tealby; Elizabeth M, 12 born Caistor (a hamlet N of Tealby); then bron in Grimsby Ada H 11, Fred 9, John H 7, Ernest 5, and Maud C 4; further a female servant of 18 and the lodger Alfred S. Coleman, curate of St Johns Church.

Map of Grimsby from the Ordinance Survey of 1887, with four streets marked.
In 1881 they lived on 100 Cleethorpe road (see above).
In 1896 (see below) the residence was on Park terrace. The Park is 500 m south of the old town centre.
Two business addreses (oulets, warehouses?) are given then, at Cleethorpe road and Kent street, both parallel east-west very close to the harbour.

The 1896 "Kelly's Directory" for Grimsby, Lincolnshire, lists Fredrick at   13 Park terrace, Welholme road west. with as profession "commercial traveller": it may explain the mentioned frequent absence from home. The business listing is at 55 Kent street & 137 Cleethorpe road.
 
1914: Frederick is now in Kelly's for Kettering, Northants.

EM:  There were 2 brothers and 1 sister. One of the former a quite noted photographer who once photographed the Royal Family. [ This was Ernset ^a (see list of photographers GB & IR 1840-1940). ] Lived at Newbury. He took a photo of me at my Grandma's house before I went to Trinidad − when I was about 22. I have the photo. The sister, Maud, unmarried, taught the piano for many years and had some very distinguished pupils. [ Later ] lived with my Grandma who had a house about a mile from "Holly Bank" in Rockingham road, Kettering.